To the Editor:

I want to express my deepest thanks and appreciation on behalf of the 32,000 Girl Scouts in Connecticut, to those who supported our 2017 Girl Scout Cookie Program. Because of your generosity and support, more than 2.1 million boxes of cookies were sold in Connecticut. In addition, Girl Scouts sold more than 100,000 boxes of cookies for our Gift of Caring program, Cookies for Heroes, which we will send to our service women and men at home and overseas.

Our Cookie Program teaches girls to be go-getters and five important skills: goal setting, decisionmaking, money management, people skills, and business ethics. This year, girls across the state earned more than $1.8 million through their cookie sales. This money goes directly back to the girls to invest in their communities, plan fun, educational experiences, and also to help support other girls who otherwise could not afford to participate in Girl Scouting.

We are also happy to announce that Girl Scouts of Connecticut continues to have a successful experience in how engaged the girls are with the Digital Cookie platform. We saw a 55 percent increase in the number of girls who participated this year with online sales, and they sold over 140,000 boxes of cookies through the Digital Cookie platform.

It's also important to thank our 15,000 wonderful adult volunteers for their year-round dedication and commitment to our girls, including during the Cookie Program. We are grateful to each and every one of you who support our girls throughout the year in so many ways.

Thank you again for your generous support of Girl Scouts of Connecticut, as you are helping us build girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.

With warm regards,

Mary Barneby

Girl Scouts of Connecticut, CEO

340 Washington Avenue, Hartford         June 14, 2017